DATE : 2.3.2012
SUBJECT : Human Rights, Economic Opportunity

As reported in the national and international media in the past several weeks, groups fighting against child sex trafficking have successfully lobbied the Indiana state legislature and governor to pass and sign a tough new anti-trafficking law in advance of Sunday's Super Bowl. A number of Catholic nuns have played a pivotal role in this and other efforts to stop child sex trafficking at the Super Bowl. Among them is Sister Pat Bergen, who wrote an Op-Ed piece in today's Chicago Tribune on the issue. "The crowd is starting to swell in Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI, many looking for amusement until game time" Bergen writes. "And, the commercial sex industry is ready to oblige. You can be sure they've imported a generous supply of victim-prostitutes to be at the pleasure of countless game-goers in town. Local and federal officials acknowledge that organized prostitution accompanies major sports events like the Olympics, the World Cup and the Super Bowl. That's where the big money is. Adding even more credence to this tragic reality, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels just signed into law tougher penalties on sex traffickers. The new law makes it a felony to recruit, transport or harbor anyone under the age of 16 for prostitution or other sexual conduct, punishable by 20 to 50 years in prison. The magnitude of the punishment speaks to the horror of the crime." Bergen continues: "Mostly young women and children, the victims are subject to gross human rights violations, including rape, torture, forced abortions, starvation, and threats of torture or murder. Many of these victims have been imported from poverty conditions in foreign countries, duped with promises of good jobs in the U.S. Others were purchased like possessions or kidnapped outright. And some are American runaways whose lives have hit bottom. The numbers of victims involved are staggering. The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking estimates that it is a $16 billion business in the U.S."